


New Friends Make A Difference

by heartsdesire456



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Coming Out, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Jealousy, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Matchmaking, Mostly Gen, Sorta RPF, crossover with real life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 13:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3490652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Pepper accidentally spills her coffee on a woman and brings her up to lend her a skirt, Tony and Bruce are surprised when the woman turns out to be a supermodel and that supermodel seems to think Bruce Banner is much more impressive than any of the other Avengers.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Tony watched Bruce as he turned to Tony and shook his head. “Did a supermodel half our age really just fangirl my public speaking?” he asked, and Tony chuckled, nodding.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>“I do believe we found the only person alive that is more interested in Nerdy Bruce than Rich Tony,” he joked and Bruce just smiled faintly, shaking his head.</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Such a nice girl, too,” he said absently as he tucked into his breakfast.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	New Friends Make A Difference

**Author's Note:**

> I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED OKAY?! Me and my friend were just talking about how awesome Andreja Pejic is and how crazy intelligent she is and how she's breaking so many stereotypes about super models and how she'd totally think Bruce Banner was awesome and IT JUST HAPPENED, OKAY?!
> 
> DON'T JUDGE ME!

Bruce was tired, Tony could tell. It took a lot to tire Bruce out when they were in the lab, but he was clearly flagging. His hair was standing on end from pushing his fingers through it, his shirt was buttoned wrong (Tony had no idea how that happened), and he’d swapped his pants for some of Tony’s pajama bottoms when Tony offered them hours ago. He was too hungry to go to bed though, so he and Tony were going to get breakfast before finally crashing.

“Come on, Bruce, bacon, juice, then some good ol’ REM sleep,” Tony urged, hooking an arm around his shoulders, and Bruce chuckled tiredly. 

Just as they passed the elevator, it dinged and the doors opened. Pepper walked through and Tony stopped, smiling in confusion. “Hi. Weren’t you going to work?” he asked, looking at his watch. “Like… thirty minutes ago?” Bruce rolled his eyes and went on ahead to the kitchen. 

“Yes, but I-“ She stopped and glanced back as a blonde head peeked through the doors, and she chuckled. “It’s alright, Andreja,” she said, reaching back to grab the hand of the girl in the elevator.

Tony huffed. “You’re bringing friends to the Avengers… level,” he trailed off, eyes wide as the girl who walked out came fully into view.

She was _gorgeous_. She was also very, very tall. The girl – she had to be twenty or twenty-two at the most – looked sheepish but curious as she stopped beside Pepper, towering over even her. She had long, wavy blonde hair, was wearing _not_ business clothes like Pepper, but instead had on a white cap-sleeve shirt and a flowy pink skirt. She was holding the end of her skirt in a bunch and she blushed some when she saw him looking. “Um, yeah. This is a bit embarrassing.” She glanced at Pepper, who squeezed her hand, smiling comfortingly.

“It’s fine,” she comforted, turning back to Tony. “I’m a klutz this morning and I spilled my coffee all over Andreja’s skirt down in the café in the lobby,” she explained.

Andreja shook her head. “It’s fine, Pepper, honestly, you don’t have to-“

“I’m not sending you out to go about your day in a stained skirt when we’re right here in my building,” she argued. She turned back to Tony. “I’m just gonna give her something of mine since we’re about the same size.”

Tony fixed on a smile. “Just stay away from the miniskirts, probably,” he joked and Andreja chuckled, glancing at Pepper then at herself. 

“I dunno, I’m a model, so short skirts don’t bother me much,” she said, and Pepper smiled.

“See? We’ll just get you something and I’ll have yours sent to the cleaners and you can pick it up whenever,” she said, gesturing to the hall as she led Andreja past. “I really am going to work, Tony, so don’t think this is an excuse to get out of your meeting in two hours,” she called as they passed him, heading towards the residential hall.

Tony went on to the kitchen, to where Bruce was sleepily making eggs and toast, and grabbed the coffee. Bruce gave him a disapproving look. “You should sleep.”

Tony shrugged. “I slept yesterday, I’m fine,” he said, pouring some coffee. 

Pepper came in after a few minutes and stopped to grab a bottle of water. Tony nodded. “Where’s the amazon?” he asked.

Pepper smacked his arm with the bottle. “Be nice.” She lowered her voice. “That’s Andreja Pejic, she’s a transgender supermodel,” she explained. “I knew when I saw her, we’ve been to a show she was in, but I didn’t want her to think I was treating her differently because I know who she is,” she said softly.

“Who’s a supermodel?” Bruce asked, yawning as he passed Tony the first plate.

Tony nodded to Pepper. “She spilled coffee on this really hot chick’s skirt and brought her upstairs to change. Turns out she’s used to be a dude,” he said and Pepper smacked him in the back of the head, glaring at him.

Bruce frowned. “That’s not nice,” he said, looking at Tony with his ‘I’m disappointed in you’ puppy eyes. “If she’s a supermodel after the struggles she has to have dealt with, she must be really brave. Don’t be cruel like that.” He gave him a wry smile. “I know a little what it’s like to feel like you’re in the wrong body sometimes. Mine is just very occasionally and because of my own doing.”

Tony shrugged. “I’m not trying to be a jerk. She’s ridiculously attractive.”

“Why thank you, Mr. Stark,” a voice said from the doorway and they all turned. 

Pepper smiled. “Find one that works?” she asked as Andreja walked into the room, nodding as she looked down at the pale yellow skirt that hung mid-thigh on her.

“Yes, thank you. This is really nice. I’ll be careful with it,” she promised with a chuckle. “Valentino may not be the most expensive, but it’s more than a lot of my things I didn’t have given to me.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Please, I’m the CEO of Stark Industries.” She waved a hand. “You can keep the skirt, it’s nothing. You saw my closet. And that’s just things I’ve bought since our last house got blown up,” she said, nodding at Tony.

Andreja laughed, glancing at Tony, only to have her laughter die out and her eyes widen at something over his shoulder. “Oh.” Tony glanced back and saw Bruce had turned around. Tony tensed, hoping she wasn’t going to be afraid of him just because of his reputation. 

“Oh, Andreja, this is-“

“Dr. Banner,” she said before he could, crossing the kitchen with an eager smile. “You’re Dr. Bruce Banner,” she said again, looking – if Tony wasn’t going crazy – almost star-struck.

Bruce blinked up at her in confusion. “Um, yes?” he asked, looking unsure.

She positively beamed, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry if I’m being weird, it’s just- wow.” She giggled some. “Your speech earlier this month on CO2 emissions for the UN was absolutely inspiring,” she said, shaking her head. “I wasn’t able to come, I had a fitting, but I had a friend transcribe it all from a recording for me to read when I got home. It was almost as good as the one you did in the spring about civilian casualties in drone strikes in the Middle East,” she all but gushed.

Tony wasn’t sure who was more shocked, him or Bruce.

Bruce opened and closed his mouth some before shaking his head. “I’m sorry did you say you like my _speeches_?” he asked, looking a mix before thinking he was hallucinating or had possibly already fallen asleep. “I didn’t catch your name-“

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she held out her hand. “I’m Andreja Pejic.” She waved her free hand as he shook her hand lightly. “I just had a run-in with Pepper’s coffee and she was nice enough to lend me a skirt since I’m off to an interview later today.”

Bruce nodded. “You’re a supermodel?” he asked and she nodded. “A supermodel that’s… totally ignoring Tony Stark to ask me about my speeches?” he asked, blinking. She frowned some and he cringed and then shook his head. “I’m so sorry, I’m half-asleep, that was a crappy thing for me to say-“

“No, no, I get it,” she said, chuckling. “It’s a fair assumption. I mean, he is a billionaire with a history with models,” she joked and Bruce laughed when she winked at Pepper and Tony.

“Did you see my lecture about the drone strikes?” he asked curiously. 

She nodded eagerly. “Yeah- well, not in person. I was on vacation with my mum and grandmother, so I watched a livestream of it at the hotel, but it was amazing!” She blushed some. “I have read some of your papers on physics, but I’m afraid it’s a bit above my understanding. I paid more attention to studying political science than real science.”

He tilted his head. “Oh, what was your major?”

“Oh, no,” she said, looking down a bit. “I actually just started studying to take the SAT and try and get into university now.” She gestured absently. “I wanted to study law before, like my mum, but with the amount of attention I have now, I’d probably have trouble becoming a lawyer,” she said and Bruce grimaced playfully.

“Yeah, I wanted to be a professor in my old age, but clearly that’s not in the cards for me now,” he said and she laughed, nodding.

“I can imagine.” She glanced at Pepper, then back at Bruce. “It was really wonderful to meet you, Dr. Banner, but I should really be getting on. I have an hour to get to my interview.”

Pepper jumped into action. “Right you are. Come on, I’ll take you back down,” she said, and Tony waved.

“It was nice to meet you,” he said, and Bruce nodded more sincerely.

“It was great to meet you, Andreja. And thank you for liking the speeches,” he added, waving as she turned to fall into step with Pepper, the two women stalking out in a hurry to get on their ways. Tony watched Bruce as he turned to Tony and shook his head. “Did a supermodel half our age really just fangirl my public speaking?” he asked, and Tony chuckled, nodding.

“I do believe we found the only person alive that is more interested in Nerdy Bruce than Rich Tony,” he joked and Bruce just smiled faintly, shaking his head.

“Such a nice girl, too,” he said absently as he tucked into his breakfast.

Tony just rolled his eyes, still torn at Bruce’s reaction to a supermodel thinking he’s great being so sedate.

~

Tony knew that Pepper had sent Andreja Pejic an invitation to the science expo for students from under-funded public schools in the area that he had put on, but he hadn’t really expected her to come. Yet as he returned to Bruce’s side, he found that Pepper had brought her over to Bruce already. “Well hi there,” he said, handing Bruce his soda. “I wondered where Pepper had gone,” he said, and Andreja smiled.

“Hello, Mr. Stark-“

He waved a hand. “Oh please, call me Tony.”

She nodded politely. “Then you can call me Andreja,” she said.

Pepper stepped around to grab Tony’s elbow. “Andreja here was just telling Bruce how much she enjoyed his presentation for the kids today.”

Bruce smiled at Tony. “She said it was better than yours,” he teased and Andreja chuckled, giving Tony a teasing smirk.

“You showed off a bit more and he stuck to the science,” she said with a playful lilt to her voice. “I really did enjoy yours as well, though. I went to a bit of an advanced high school so I can at least understand the presentations meant for teenagers in science clubs, even if it’s been quite a few years since then. It’s a lot easier than trying to follow MIT graduate level papers,” she pointed out.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “How old are you? You can’t be too far out of high school.”

She shook her head. “I’m not much older. I was born in 1991.”

Tony and Bruce both cringed. “Wow, I inherited Stark Industries that year.” Tony saluted her with his drink. “Thanks for making me feel old.”

Bruce chuckled. “And I’m a year older than him,” he said, nodding at Tony. “How did you get interested in science enough to watch my lectures and speeches in the first place?” he asked. “Just, out of curiosity,” he added.

“Actually I mostly watched some of your lectures on politics and environmentalism,” she explained. “But as far as science goes, any knowledge helps give one a greater idea of the world in which we live, right?” She sipped her drink and continued. “The main reason I decided to go into modeling, apart from a way to make more money than I was making working at McDonalds, is that I wanted to see the world and other cultures and try to understand more of all of this.” She waved a hand around them. “But the more I traveled and the more I meet people and talk to people, the more I realize there’s so much I can’t possibly know unless I _try_.” She shrugged. “Science is one of the important aspects of understanding what’s going on around you. A solid basis in science is like a solid basis in history, it helps you understand why things are the way they are.”

Tony made an impressed face at Pepper, who nodded knowingly. “Wow, I just liked science because I could build cool stuff by the time I was four or something,” Tony joked and Andreja chuckled.

“Well some of us are natural geniuses just like some of us are naturally the right height and build for runway modeling, so it makes sense.” She inclined her head. “You clearly have had a change of heart in learning about the world around you in the past few years, so you probably understand what I mean.”

Bruce smirked at Tony, who was absolutely gob smacked. “Ha, you just got owned by a supermodel in her early twenties. I love it!”

Pepper grinned. “Oh trust me, I do, too,” she said, winking at Andreja. “Alright, Tony and I have to go schmooze now-“

Tony whined. “Awww do I have to?”

“Yes, you have to go thank the donators, now move it,” she informed him, tugging him by his elbow. Tony left Andreja and Bruce talking and sighed. Bruce always got to have more fun at charity events than him.

~

Clint stumbled into his seat, eyes wide. “Guys! Guys! You will NEVER guess what I just saw!” he blurted out, looking around the table.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got a gray hair?” she asked, and Clint flipped her off.

“NO! Bruce – our Bruce – just left and went upstairs!”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Uh… and? He usually skips out early.”

Clint shook his head “You didn’t let me finish, I was going for dramatic pause-“

“Just tell us, then,” Bucky interrupted and Clint huffed.

“Fine- Bruce left with a _woman_!” he stressed.

Natasha stilled, lowering her glass. “Wait… _Bruce_ went upstairs with a woman?” she asked in a darker tone.

Clint nodded, eyes wide. “Not just any woman, this- this girl was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!” Natasha gave him an expectant look and Steve snorted.

“Oh c’mon, Nat, you know you’re gorgeous, but you’re our friend,” he said and Bucky nodded.

“She was really tall and very thin and had long, pretty blonde hair, and she was wearing this floaty light green dress that made her look like some Greek goddess, and _dear God_ did I say that she was tall, and her face was just so beautiful and-“

Natasha glared. “We get it, you have a boner for her.”

Clint smirked. “He said he was taking her to ‘see his lab’,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Steve frowned. “Who says he’s not? It’s a science gala. Maybe she’s a scientist?” He shook his head. “Not everything is a euphemism, you know?”

Bucky smirked. “Trust Steve, he learned that lesson the hard way,” he joked and Steve glared at him. He looked around then downed the rest of his drink. “Screw it, I’m gonna go walk past his lab, who’s with me?” he asked, standing up.

Clint, Natasha, and Steve all looked at each other for about a second before they jumped up and followed Bucky to the elevators. Tony wouldn’t miss them for at least twenty minutes, they were sure.

~

Tony got upstairs – having left Pepper to finish schmoozing for the company – and he exited the elevator just in time to see Clint coming running from the elevator that went up to the labs to the cluster of Steve, Natasha, and Bucky that was standing just outside the living room. “Well what are you up to?” he asked as he approached them.

Clint shook his head. “Not spying on Bruce putting the moves on some hot girl because for the past half-hour, they’ve _literally_ been looking around his lab.”

Steve nodded. “Not a euphemism this time.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Uh, tall, blonde, gorgeous?” he asked, and they all nodded. “Well yeah, no, that’s Andreja. She’s a model that’s kind of a Dr. Banner fangirl.” He shook his head as he walked past them towards the living room. “Totally ignored me when we met and went straight to Bruce, gushing about how much she liked his lectures.”

The others followed him into the living room. “Wait, she _likes his science_?” Natasha asked suspiciously. “A model?”

Tony gave her a mockingly disappointed look. “Shouldn’t you be all ‘beauty and brains can come in the same package’, Natasha?”

“Yeah, but Bruce Banner – short guy, salt and pepper hair, deathly shy – has made nerd friends with a _model_?” she asked, looking skeptical.

Tony gave her a knowing smirk, making her glare at him. “She’s half his age, trust me, he’s not into her that way.” He sat down just as he heard voices and looked over to see Bruce and Andreja coming from the hall. “Ah! Speak of the devil! Bruce, introduce lovely Andreja to our friends,” he called as he lounged back on the loveseat. 

Bruce walked into the living room, Andreja walking with her hand on his elbow. “Oh hey guys,” he said with a genuine smile. “Andreja, these are my friends, Natasha, Bucky, and Steve,” he introduced. “This is Andreja Pejic, everybody.”

Tony chuckled when Steve looked _up_ at her beside him. Bucky looked between them and smirked. “Wow, just like old times, huh, Pal?” he teased and Steve rolled his eyes but smiled good-naturedly.

“Still looking up to pretty girls,” he said.

She laughed, then reached down and lifted one foot to pull off her shoe, then the other, standing up again. “Sorry, how about now?” she asked, standing up, only to be eye to eye with him now.

Steve blinked in surprise as Andreja followed Bruce’s gesture and walked around to take a seat on the couch beside him. “Whoa, how are you so tall?” he asked, then winced, looking ashamed of himself for his less-than-graceful reaction. 

Andreja smiled shrewdly, clearly watching his face for reaction, and Tony had time to tense in worry before she spoke. “Well, I’m actually transgender,” she said simply.

Everybody else seemed to tense momentarily, waiting on Steve’s reaction, but Steve just blinked, then smiled even wider. “Wow, you’re transgender and you just come out and say it to a total stranger?” he asked, looking almost _amazed_. He walked around and sat across from her and Bruce, eyes bright and cheerful as he looked at Andreja in wonder. “That’s so brave.”

She chuckled, looking pleasantly surprised, but shrugged her narrow shoulders. “Well, I’m a well-known model, I came out publicly after having sexual reassignment surgery. If the world knows, I’ve nothing to hide anymore about it.”

Steve just looked even more awestruck. “Man, and I’m still too afraid to come out to the public as bisexual,” he said in wonder. “That’s so incredible.”

Andreja smiled brighter. “Awww that’s so kind of you.”

Bucky flopped down beside Steve, giving her the smirk that Tony had noticed he used a lot more the further he recovered. “Yeah, well, it’s harder for anybody to be negative about a face that pretty, unlike Stevie’s ugly mug,” he drawled, making Andreja smirk right back.

“I dunno, Steve’s very handsome. I’m pretty sure he’s the true embodiment of ‘attractive male’, don’t you think,” she teased. 

Bucky clutched at his chest dramatically. “Awww and here I was hoping you’d think I was the better lookin’ between the two of us,” he joked. He nodded to her. “I like your accent. I can’t really place it, though. Where’re you from?” he asked, leaning back as he slung his arm around Steve’s shoulders across the back of the couch.

“I’m Australian,” Andreja explained. “I’ve only lived here a few years, really.”

“You don’t sound Australian,” Natasha said, going to sit beside Tony. “Sounds like a fake accent, really.”

Andreja gave her a surprised look, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I am. What you’re hearing, most likely, is that English isn’t my first language.”

Bruce looked surprised. “Oh? Where are you from originally?”

“I’m from Bosnia,” Andreja explained. “I spoke Serbian until I finally learned English when I was ten,” she explained. She smiled at Bruce. “One of the reasons I first heard of you – apart from the whole boring superhero thing – “ she added, waving a hand offhandedly, earning amused looks from most of the others. “Is you wrote that letter urging the UN to do more about the refugees in Syria and wrote about working with displaced people before in your humanitarian journeys.” She shook her head. “I really liked your dedication to writing more and more letters about the Syrian refugees, because I spent a year living in a refugee camp.”

Bruce nodded. “If you were born in ’91, the Bosnian war had started, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, my mum was a lawyer before the Bosnian war, but when things started going bad and she and my father got divorced, she took me and my brother and my grandmother and we fled to a refugee camp in Serbia and it took a year before we could find a house in a suburb of Belgrade.” She shook her head. “I don’t remember before the refugee camp. I was too small, but I remember living there and then moving to a house for the first time.”

Clint hummed. “Belgrade in the late nineties wasn’t the best place to be, was it? I remember doing some missions in Albania around then when I was still new to SHIELD.”

“That’s why I was so happy with Bruce’s speech on drone strikes,” Andreja added. “There were talks of genocide in Kosovo, because the Kosovo war had started, and I didn’t know what that meant, but I remember my mum talking to my grandmother about ‘not again’ since the mass killings and rape camps were why my mum got us out of Bosnia as fast as she could.” She waved a hand. “I didn’t understand the word ‘genocide’ yet, but I was eight when NATO started their bombings. I remember asking my mum and my older brother why the Americans were attacking when my grandmother said they were supposed to be helping us.” She shook her head. “I remember my mum crying when she read the newspaper and I was so small but I genuinely thought a bomb was going to blow us all up one day like it did the people I heard adults talking about.”

Bruce looked at her with wide eyes. “Wow, I’ve written about how there’s no such thing as acceptable loss, but I never actually spoke with anybody that had such a first-hand account of it.”

Bucky tilted his head. “I don’t remember much of the nineties. What kind of collateral damage are we talking about?”

Andreja made a disgusted sound. “The kind like there is with drone strikes now, the kind where someone actually goes on record saying ‘we compare military targets value against acceptable collateral damage’. It’s not even the sheer stupidity of the bombing of refugees by accident, but I remember when the TV center in Belgrade was bombed because school was shut down for the day since we were only an hour’s drive from the city. Someone thought it was acceptable to bomb a building with nothing but civilians in it because it was taking out communications for propaganda.” She held up a hand, ticking off on her fingers. “Or multiple incidences of ‘oh one bomb fell short and landed on a house, but we still took out our target, never mind those six children killed in their sleep. Or the use of cluster bombs that got caught by the wind and were blown to the center of a city, cluster bombs that are still discovered unexploded all over Serbia now.” 

She shook her head “It’s ridiculous that anybody can try to justify ‘strategic air strikes’ when it’s _not_. It would be one thing if the managed to land all their missiles and bombs on target, but it’s a whole different one when they’re either incompetent or lazy and they _miss_. There’s nothing justifiable about bombing a military target and having a few bombs fall short and land on apartment buildings and kill civilians. It’s like the drone strikes where ‘oh, we took our a major Taliban target’ but they breeze over the fact that his wives and children were all in the house when it was blown up and now there’s three dead women and ten dead children all for one man.” She gestured to Bruce. “I’m pretty sure I cried telling my mum about his speech on drone strikes, because I remember being afraid and I know how much my mum sacrificed to protect us.” 

Steve let out a low ‘whoa’. “Didn’t you say you didn’t learn English until you were ten?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Yes, my mum was able to get her, me, and my brother refugee status and get us to Australia in 2000. My grandmother couldn’t come with us until I made enough money modeling a few years ago to move her home to Mum,” she said and Tony shook his head, unable to imagine how hard that had been. “I learned English faster than my brother or my mum, but it was really difficult, and yes, I had a lot more opportunities in a peaceful place, but the fact my family had to go through such a hardship and we were never even actively under attack like these poor people in Syria are makes me really admire when people speak out about it.” She smiled at Bruce. “It’s the thing I admire about you, Bruce. You’re friends with a billionaire, and you’re all a bunch of super heroes, and you’re using that to speak out about the things that matter politically and socially and it’s really amazing.”

Bruce blushed some, chuckling bashfully. “Thanks, Andreja, but really.” He held out his hands. “You gave up college to bring your grandmother to be back with your family, that’s way more ‘heroic’ than giving lectures. That and your mother going to such great lengths to protect her family.”

Andreja smiled brightly, tilting her head back adorably. “Oh yes, my mum’s definitely the bigger hero – no offence, all, thanks for the whole ‘saving the world’ thing – “ she joked, “but Mum is definitely a superhero to me.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t blame you at all. God knows as crazy as my life has been, I still find myself remembering how much my mother dealt with to take care of us and think ‘wow, I wish I was that strong’,” he said and she grinned.

“Well she clearly raised a good man in you, Steve,” she said in a light tone that made Steve blush some.

Tony shook his head, chuckling. “The same can be said for your mother. From the sound of it, she raised a very intelligent and driven young woman, and take it from somebody whose parents sucked, not all parents are as dedicated even without the obstacles your mom seemed to have faced.”

Clint nodded. “That’s for damn sure. Your mom sounds more like a badass than half the spies I know,” he joked.

“Who is more badass than me this time?” Tony looked around and perked up.

“Agent! You’re here! When did you show up?” he asked curiously as Coulson walked into the room from the hall. “I didn’t see you downstairs.”

He nodded towards the hall. “Pepper let me in. She’s changing.”

Tony glared playfully. “You perving on my lady?” he demanded and Coulson shrugged casually.

“You perv on mine,” he accused “And it’s Director.”

Tony barked out a laugh. “Alright, Director Agent,” he said, turning to Andreja. “Andreja, this is Director Agent-“

“I’m Director Coulson,” Coulson interrupted, walking around to offer his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Pejic,” he greeted, giving her a smile when she shook his hand lightly. “You look lovely,” he added and she gave him an amused look as he went to sit between Natasha and Clint.

“So charming, Agent Coulson,” she said, then looked over at Natasha. “Are you his ‘lady’?” she asked casually.

Clint winked. “No, I am,” he said and Andreja laughed in surprise.

“Oh, ‘mine’ didn’t refer to ‘my lady’,” she realized, smiling apologetically. “My bad.”

Clint slung an arm around Phil’s waist. “Andreja, this is my husband Phil. Phil is a boring old SHIELD director by day, but when Tony Stark isn’t watching, he’s actually a really fun guy,” he teased.

Andreja smirked. “Well your ‘boring old’ husband is very handsome, Clint, you’re a lucky man.”

Coulson raised an eyebrow at Clint. “See? Why can’t you be more like Ms. Pejic? She’s charming and well behaved.”

“You like me wild and insubordinate, don’t even joke,” Clint dismissed with a wave. “Besides, she’s smart and has way better legs than me, I need something quirky to stand out,” he joked, winking at Andreja.

“You’ve got a much nicer bum though,” she joked right back. She winked. “Bigger tits, too.”

Clint barked out a surprised laugh, and he wasn’t the only one. Tony couldn’t believe it, but he was pretty sure he had a new favorite human (for the week at least). 

~

Tony wasn’t that surprised when Andreja seemed to be around after that. She didn’t seem to be modeling lately so it wasn’t odd to find her hanging out with Bruce once or twice per week. She and Pepper got coffee sometimes. He even was there to witness the one time Bucky talked her into coming to the gym and learning to throw a punch. 

(She wasn’t very strong, but it was still funny to see her take a swing at Steve and accidently get him in the nose instead of him block it. She’d been so surprised at actually landing a hit that she had screamed and jumped half out of her skin. After that she decided to leave the violence to the trained spies and superheroes.)

What was a surprise was when Pepper came in one morning with her tablet and passed it to Bruce wordlessly. He looked at it, then frowned. “People think Andreja is dating _me_?” he asked incredulously.

Tony barked out a laugh, grabbing the tablet to look, only to nearly fall over laughing again. Someone had a photo of Bruce and Andreja at a bookstore when Bruce had agreed to come help her find what she needed to study for the SAT besides the useless book her friend had given her. The best part was the headline: AVENGER DATING SUPERMODEL HALF HIS AGE – IT’S NOT TONY STARK THIS TIME.

“Wow, I’m so small,” Bruce groaned, looking over Tony’s shoulder at the tablet again. It was true, Andreja was sitting in a chair and was almost the same height as he was standing next to her, leaning over with his hand on her back. “Has anybody called to warn Andreja?” Bruce asked, and Pepper nodded.

“I called and left a message, but she hasn’t called back or texted.” She looked at her watch. “It’s pretty early. She’s practically a teenager. Chances are she’s still asleep.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow, humming. “Well, I’m pretty sure we’ll hear from her when she does find out.”

~

“Oh my God this is FABULOUS!” Andreja squealed over the line and Bruce held the phone away from his ear. “Oh my God, people think I’m dating a super brilliant scientist! So much better than asking if I’m dating other models or designers!”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Andreja, nobody is impressed at you dating a scientist. If anything they’d call you an attention whore for dating an Avenger.”

“Yes, and? It’s incredible! Fuck the haters!” she proclaimed and Bruce groaned.

“It’s times like these I’m reminded you are practically a child, Andreja,” he said and she laughed.

“Fine, fine. If you want me to deny it I will. Spoilsport,” she added and he chuckled, rubbing at the bridge of his nose where his glasses had been pressing.

Bruce shook his head, amazed at the fact he was about to say it, but eventually he sighed and opened his mouth. “Look, you don’t have to deny it, but don’t make any confirmations since, you know, I’m not dating you. And make sure you tell your mother or anybody else that important that I’m not actually a dirty old man dating a girl young enough to be my daughter, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’ve already called Mum and told her it’s not true. She just laughed at me and accused me of being sad it’s not true. Side note: I’m not, you’re cute and all, but I like ‘em closer to my own age, thanks,” she added and Bruce rolled his eyes.

“Small mercies.” He looked up as Tony walked in and gave him an apologetic look as Tony tapped his watch. “Look, I need to go, but just… don’t go overboard, okay? I’m not taking calls so I’m not going to deny it publicly, so have your fun, but if you take it too far I’ll have to give an interview and that’ll suck.”

Andreja sighed dramatically and Bruce could practically feel her pout. “You’re so old and boring it’s sad, Bruce. You know that, right?” she asked before hanging up with a click. Bruce just shook his head, fighting an amused smile as he, too, hung up and stood to go to Tony.

~

Only a few days after the ‘news’ broke, Andreja got asked at a party what made her want to date the oldest, least attractive, and most volatile Avenger, not one of the younger, hotter, more stable ones. As soon as the video made it online, Tony had it brought up on the main screen in the living room, so Bruce knew as soon as Andreja on the screen developed a devious smirk that he should escape before the others could start teasing.

He was already half out of the room when he heard her response and the subsequent raucous laughter.

“An older man has his advantages, and clearly whoever thinks he’s least attractive has never seen his naked bum.”

~

When the Avengers had to elect someone to do an interview for a morning talk show about a charity visit to a children’s hospital that they were all taking part in (except Tony, who just gave a ton of money since he was terrified of the germy children), Steve was the obvious choice. Mostly because he was the best at behaving in front of a camera. For the most part they kept the questions to the charity and the kids, but when he brought up that Bruce had worked helping children in third world countries, the next thing they asked him was, of course, about something else.

“Now, Dr. Banner, he’s the one dating that transgender model, right? What’s the name-“ She snapped her fingers. “Pejic, right?”

Steve chuckled. “Andreja Pejic, yes.” He rolled his eyes. “I hate to be the one to ruin Andreja’s fun, but Bruce would kill me if I said he’s dating her.” He shook his head with a good natured laugh. “Bruce isn’t dating Andreja. He’s old enough to be her father. She just wanted to have some fun with the ‘dating Bruce Banner’ rumor and Bruce let her.” He shook his head. “Andreja is just a friend, not his girlfriend.”

She nodded, raising an eyebrow. “Now, Andreja Pejic is transgender, right? That doesn’t bother you?”

Steve’s smile wilted a little but he quickly fixed a look on his face. “Why should it?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “You don’t think having a sex change isn’t unnatural?”

“You do know my story, right?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Steve Rogers, Captain America?” He tilted his head. “I was a sickly little guy with too big of a spirit for how short my life expectancy was, and then I had a procedure to make me have a body to match who I was inside. How is becoming Captain America any different than Andreja having a procedure to make her body right?” he asked simply. He smiled more genuinely. “Andreja is a good friend of the Avengers. She’s so intelligent and really gorgeous and well-spoken and she’s a very interesting person. And oh man, she’s sooo brave,” he practically gushed. “I mean she’s the same age I was when I became Captain America, so maybe it sounds weird coming from me, but to come out and just open up about being transgender after years in the public eye?” He shook his head. “Wow, she’s so brave. Absolutely incredible.”

~

Tony barely was able to get out a, “Pause it, JARVIS!” between his laughter. Steve was blushing from his spot beside Bucky, who had a hand over his mouth, trying his hardest not to laugh like the rest of the others. “Steve- Steve, your crush on Andreja is hilarious, Buddy,” Tony got out between his giggles.

“I don’t have a crush on Andreja,” Steve huffed and Bucky snorted. “Hey!”

Bucky chuckled. “I’m sorry, Stevie, I promise.” He ruffled his hair. “It’s just so cute.” He smirked. “If I was the jealous type, I’d have a problem, but I know you love me.”

Steve glared. “No I don’t, I hate you,” he argued.

Andreja giggled as she flopped down in Steve’s lap with a dramatic swoon, making him put an arm behind her back to brace her. “Oh Captain, how do you expect a girl to stand the attention?” she mocked making him roll his eyes at her. She crossed her legs across Bucky’s lap, smirking as she wrapped her arms around Steve’s neck. “You’re a doll, Steve,” she teased, then pecked his cheek. He rolled his eyes and shoved her off his lap, a smile peeking through his scowl when she yelped and landed on the floor with a thud. “Ow! That’s my bum!” she complained, standing up to slap him on the arm. “Rude.” She rubbed her butt as she walked over and returned to her chair.

Bucky tutted. “Stevie, that’s no way to treat a lady,” he teased, then winked at Andreja. “Next time somebody asks you about him, just tell them he’s a bossy bottom, that’s revenge enough.”

Steve spluttered, flushing bright red. “I am not bossy-“

“Psh, yeah right-“

“I’m not!”

“You totally are,” Bucky argued.

Bruce hummed interestedly and looked at Tony. “I guess I owe you ten bucks,” he said and Tony rolled his eyes dramatically.

“I told you Steve’s a total power bottom.”

Bruce shrugged. “Guess so, I totally figured it was the other way around,” he said, nodding to the hall. “I’ll pay you later, my wallet’s in my room.”

Steve just groaned into his hands and slid down in his seat. “I hate you all."

~

Bucky grinned as Andreja pointed out a person taking photos of them. He just nodded his head to the bush as they passed. “Is this what it’s always like for you these days?” he asked Andreja, who chuckled, but nodded.

“Since I suddenly became friends with the Avengers, it seems people love me and hate me harder than ever,” she said, tapping her nails on his metal arm. “I guess you have some idea about that.”

Bucky hummed. “Steve hates it,” he said, rather than answer for himself. “He gets so mad when people think I’m a monster instead of a hero. The thing they turned me into was a monster, though. I’m not. I know I’m not. But he doesn’t like when people can’t separate that from me, you know?” he asked, looking at Andreja. 

She smirked knowingly. “Of course he does. To Steve Rogers you’re the center of his world.” Bucky ducked his head, fighting a blush. “That makes you shy?” she asked, sounding surprised.

“Well, it’s just sorta new still,” Bucky admitted.

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Oh please, you’re ancient-“

Bucky laughed. “I mean that this openness. He hasn’t come out, in so many words, but he never even tries to hide the look on his face when we’re together and he gets photographed. People know, even if he hasn’t said it. They have to.”

Andreja shrugged. “Coming out is hard. I understand why he hasn’t,” she said simply.

Bucky nodded. “I know, and I don’t blame him, but he’s still so open otherwise. He didn’t used to look at me like that, I’m sure.”

Andreja tutted, giving him a stern look. “Bucky, you’ve been to the museum exhibit I saw. Those photos and that clip of video?” She scoffed. “Absolute heart-eyes. Anybody who didn’t see that is mad!” She smirked. “And what about you? How long did you know how you felt about him?” she asked.

“Forever,” Bucky said matter-of-factly, making her raise an eyebrow. He grinned at the memory. “I don’t remember before Steve. I was real little, I know, but my earliest memory of Steve was when I was about nine and he was eight. Even that little, I thought he was the best kid ever because he drew real good and I liked it when he let me watch him draw,” he said and Andreja let out a soft ‘awwww’.

“That’s so cute.” She grinned. “What about the other feelings? Puberty change some things?” she teased.

Bucky smiled widely. “Hell yeah it did.” He sighed sweetly. “Stevie was so fuckin’ gorgeous, Andreja.” He shook his head. “He’s still the most handsome fella I’ve ever seen, and I know most people see it now, but when nobody else saw it for some insane reason, I thought he was gorgeous.” He waved his right hand, Andreja’s arm still through his left elbow. “Tiny little fucker, but those eyes were _big_ and so blue,” he groaned. “He had the longest eyelashes, and the prettiest eyes. And his skin was like silk. He was real pale, not the healthy kind, but he always had even, beautiful skin like fresh milk. And his hair was gold like the sunshine in July, and sooo soft,” he purred. “Steve’s hair was just beautiful. And his lips were big and full and pink. And they might be redder now, but they were so soft lookin’ then.” He chuckled at himself. “Listen to me. Going on about his face like this-“

“It’s sweet,” Andreja dismissed. “You’re the only person who can tell stories about loving Steve Rogers when he was a teenager.”

Bucky grinned. “Man did I ever love him.” He chuckled. “Steve was a burden to the eyes of so many, but I never cared. I blew off all the other kids to stay with Stevie when he was sick. I didn’t give a cuss about no girl that might lemme take a peek down her blouse if Steve was sick, because I needed to watch over him and make sure he was around later. I’d spend all night for a week at his place when his mother had to work, and I’d sleep on the floor beside his bed so that, if he ever needed me, I was right there beside him. Didn’t even go to the other room.” He shook his head, chest tightening. “I remember the first time he almost died while I was watching him,” he said gruffly and Andreja gave him a gentle look, tightening her hold on his arm. He smiled sadly. “He was fifteen. He had the whooping cough, again, and his mother had to work so she let me stay with him.” He shook his head. “He’d had it before. Nearly died when he was a baby. But I was with him and he was all feverish and he could barely breathe as it was, cause he had asthma, and he had a coughing fit, and I managed to get him sitting up to try and help him breathe but he was turning red and purple and he vomited and choked and he just kept coughing until he passed out, and I couldn’t get him to wake up again.” Bucky smiled sadly. “I ended up having to carry him to my place, so my mother could help me try to get his fever down so he’d wake up. All night we worried I’d have to go back and tell Sarah Rogers I’d let her boy die.”

Andreja hummed softly, squeezing his arm again. “That’s so awful, Bucky. I’m so sorry.” 

Bucky snorted. “I wish that’s the only time he almost died. After his mother died, I convinced him to live with me, and without his mother around, and with me having to work more than ever, he nearly died every damn winter.” He smiled though. “Didn’t change how much I loved him. I’d have done anything for him, Andreja. I still would. He just doesn’t need me to help him stay alive anymore, so ‘do anything for him’ is usually make sure there’s always some orange juice in the house and the like.”

Andreja smiled knowingly. “You came back for him, right? I think you pretty much filled the quota for ‘do anything for him’, my friend.” She sighed. “I’ve never been in love like that, but trust me, it doesn’t take knowing that feeling to see that you being in his life now after he thought he lost you is the best thing to happen to him. Nothing makes Steve Rogers smile like you do.”

Bucky grinned and ducked his head. “Yeah, for some reason the dumb punk still gives me the time of day.”

Andreja laughed and laid her head against his shoulder for a moment. “Awww it’s adorable how much you two each think the other’s far too good for you.” She gave him a playful smirk. “Old people in love is _adorable_.”

Bucky barked out a laugh and shoved Andreja away, still laughing when she pulled herself in by his wrist and hugged him lightly. He curled an arm around her waist and smiled over her shoulder. “You’re my favorite, Girlie. Besides Steve,” he added when she pulled back and let them keep walking, his arm still around her middle as they went.

“Well I won’t tell him you like me better if you don’t,” she said with a dramatic sigh, giggling some when Bucky rolled his eyes at her.

~

“Newest photos show that perhaps Andreja Pejic, transgender supermodel and friend of the Avengers, may not be dating Bruce Banner but is, in fact, dating the former Winter Soldier, Sergeant James Barnes.” 

Bruce rolled his eyes at the TV. “Seriously? Really?”

Tony whistled as the photos came up and the woman on TV kept talking. “Pejic is seen here, arm in arm, with Sergeant Barnes as they walk through the streets of Manhattan. Another photo shows them sharing an embrace moments after looking at each other with exaggerated affection.”

Clint just laughed. “Ten bucks says Bucky was talking about Steve when that picture was taken.”

“Obviously,” Bruce muttered, turning another page. “Bucky gets sappy when he’s looking at Steve or thinking about him. That’s his ‘Thinking About Steve’ face for sure.”

“Pejic was unavailable for comment, but we can keep our eyes on Pejic and Barnes and see what happens.”

Bruce snorted and Tony laughed before Clint changed the channel.

~

Andreja laughed as she watched Bucky and Steve bicker back and forth about who got which part of the Sky Bar they were sharing. “You could both just buy one,” she suggested and Steve gave her an offended look while Bucky rolled his eyes.

“No, this is our thing.” He gestured between them. “We’d go to see a movie when we had money left over and get a Sky Bar and share it. It was half the price of a loaf of bread, but it was a splurge thing.”

“Arm wrestling,” Steve decided, nodding seriously, though Andreja could see his eyes twinkling. “Over there, that table, right now.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Steve, you’re stronger than me with the real arm-“

“Then use the left,” Steve said with a smile. He walked over to the outdoor table outside the Starbucks they were passing and plopped down, looking at Bucky expectantly. Andreja pulled out her phone to film as Bucky rolled his eyes but headed over, sitting across from him. 

Bucky put his left elbow on the table, narrowing his eyes. “Alright. Winner gets caramel, loser has to eat the not-vanilla.”

Steve grinned impishly. “Deal.”

Andreja held her phone up and filmed as they clasped hands and, when she counted down and said ‘go’, started trying to push the other’s arm down. Steve and Bucky both held very serious expressions for the first few moments before Steve started to gain traction and Bucky made a frustrated sound. “You can do it, Bucky!” she cheered and Bucky winked and grinned as he suddenly pushed and Steve’s arm slipped and slammed to the table.

Steve gaped. “You cheated!” he accused immediately and Bucky laughed.

“You’re just not as good as you think you are, Punk,” he said, blowing him a kiss as he stood up then tugged Steve to his feet. “My arm doesn’t get tired, sucker!”

Steve grumbled. “Yeah, yeah. Next time we’re doing it fair-“

“Then you’re stronger than me,” Bucky argued playfully. He tore off the vanilla bit of the Sky Bar and handed it to Steve, who rolled his eyes and bit into it anyways.

“I guess you deserve it,” Steve said, giving Bucky a small smile that Andreja could see had something more private in it. “You always let me have the caramel back then.”

Bucky snickered, biting into his caramel. “You were so little, I figured straight sugar would fatten you up more than that Valomilk stuff.” He held his arms open to Andreja. “I’m the winner!”

She laughed and gave him a hug. “Congratulations, nothing says ‘I’m an adult’ like arm wrestling over candy,” she teased, linking her arm through his as they fell into a line and started walking.

Steve shrugged. “I’m a complete adult, Bucky’s just a child-“

“And who suggested an arm wrestling match in the first place?!” Bucky argued, giving Steve a playful glare. 

“Well now Andreja knows you’re a bully,” Steve teased and Andreja laughed.

She started to respond, but there was a far too familiar click and a call of her name directly after it. “Andreja, Andreja, look this way, please?” She turned and fixed a smile for the person with the cameras. “Andreja, are you having a nice day out with your boyfriend?” the young man asked, and Andreja offered a fake laugh to cover her annoyance.

“Oh no, neither of my friends here are my boyfriend,” she dismissed.

“Are you sure? You and Sergeant Barnes seemed pretty close a few minutes ago,” he said, and Andreja fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“Friends share hugs,” she dismissed, but they had gathered a bit of a crowd. Not much, but a few people had stopped and were taking photos on their phones of Captain America, a former villain, and Andreja all being pestered by a photographer. 

The photographer took another photo. “It isn’t the first time it’s been implied you and he are an item. Care to comment?”

“I just said we’re not, sooo…” she trailed off, giving him a pointed look.

The guy snapped another photo. “Are you just hiding it because he’s known to have killed people-“

“Hey! That’s enough,” Steve snapped, stepping up beside Andreja. “Stop pestering this young lady already,” he said warningly.

Bucky stepped up beside him and nodded to Andreja. “You heard her, Sir. We’re not a couple. She’s a friend. That’s it-“

“Well you would tell the same story she does, wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t want your girlfriend to get hassled about dating a murderer, right?” the guy asked and Steve looked ready to deck the guy.

Andreja started to say something, but Steve spoke up before she could. “For fucks sake, you want proof Bucky and Andreja aren’t a couple?” He grabbed Bucky, who yelped in surprise, and kissed him - _hard_ \- right there in front of everybody. Bucky made an alarmed sound against his mouth, but reached up and held onto Steve’s shoulders as Steve tangled a hand in his hair, nearly bending Bucky over backwards as he kissed him deeply. 

Andreja gaped along with everybody else as Bucky let out a growled moan against Steve’s lips when Steve pulled back, giving one last nip to Bucky’s bottom lip as he put a few inches between them. Andreja couldn’t help but burst out laughing as they stood there panting and staring into each other’s eyes like they were about to snap and fuck right there in front of the world. “Um, guys, keep it PG, alright?” she suggested, and that seemed to snap them out of it.

Steve backed up a step, blushing bright red all the way to his hairline, and Bucky’s face twisted into a full on leer as he slid his hand into the back pocket of Steve’s jeans, tugging him back into his side. “Uh sooo, yeah. Not Andreja’s boyfriend,” Steve said sheepishly, ducking his head.

Andreja couldn’t stop laughing as she looped an arm through Steve’s elbow and tugged him and Bucky along, not bothering to comment to the photographer, who was still snapping pictures of them. Bucky just flipped him off as they turned and kept going, grinning over at Steve every few steps while Andreja couldn’t stop laughing.

~

Steve ducked his head as Pepper stopped her pacing and angry tirade. “Well, look at the bright side,” he said simply, peeking up at her. “I said ‘fuck’ and made out with a guy, sure, but if I hadn’t, Bucky was about to beat the hell out of that guy.”

Bucky nodded, taking a drink of his beer. “I was two seconds from rearranging his face,” he said simply.

Andreja patted his hand. “Thank you, Darling, but getting arrested for me is a bit much,” she said and Bucky gave her a grin.

“C’mon, what kinda guy lets somebody harass a sweet gal like you?” he said, smiling when she kissed him on the cheek. 

Steve rolled his eyes. “I’m the one in trouble and of course he gets credit for it,” he said and Andreja rolled her eyes but turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek, making him blush. 

“You have some jealousy issues, Steve,” she teased, patting him on the knee. “You make out with Bucky cause somebody suggests he’s my boyfriend, then you feel left out when I kiss his cheek. I’m not trying to steal your boyfriend,” she comforted, making him grin sheepishly.

Bucky shrugged. “Wouldn’t work if you were, Girlie. I’m a one-man kinda guy. Emphasis on the ‘man’ part.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re missing some key pieces for me.”

Andreja leaned back. “Really now? And here I thought you were bisexual.”

“Was,” he said with a simply raise of his hands. “Funny how it changes over time. I honestly don’t like the prospect of having sex with a girl anymore. Used to, couldn’t get enough of ‘em, and even after me and Steve got together, I liked girls even if I didn’t get up to anything with them.” He shook his head. “Not so much anymore. If anything happened with me and Steve – in some alternate universe or something, obviously – I’d still wanna screw men.”

Steve snickered. “And yes, that is hilarious as fuck,” he said and Andreja chuckled.

“He was quite the ladies man, wasn’t he?” she asked and Steve groaned.

“Bucky and his girls. He had the least trouble charming a girl into going out with him.”

Bucky leered. “Worked on you, too, Stevie.”

Pepper sighed, rubbing at her temples. “Great. I introduce a twenty-three year old and suddenly the two youngest Avengers become teenagers.”

Bucky raised his hand. “I’m probably physically like thirty-one, so I’m not actually with them.”

Steve shook his head. “I’ll be thirty in July, she’s still way younger than us.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “The next youngest Avengers is Natasha and she’s thirty-two-“

“ _Allegedly_ ,” Steve stressed, eyes wide. “I swear to God, in that one lab, I saw a photo of her that was dated in the early nineties and she looked the exact same, not like a little girl.”

Bucky nodded seriously. “She’s totally a robot. Definitely.”

Andreja smirked deviously. “Is that why she hates me? I’m young for real?” she asked, and Steve slapped a hand over her mouth, shaking his head.

“She might hear you.”

Bucky nodded seriously. “We like you, Andreja. If you die, we’ll be really sad.” He looked at Pepper. “Have JARVIS erase this conversation,” he whispered, cracking up when he got to the end.

Andreja chuckled and leaned back, pulling out her phone. “Lean in, Boys,” she said, smiling deviously at the camera as they both laid a head on each of her shoulders, making faces.

_Getting a lecture from the Avengers resident ‘Mum’ for being bad children today with my boys. Mama’s gonna get a time out soon, my little Virgins!_

Bucky was so intrigued by all the comments her post got that he immediately ran to grab his phone and beg JARVIS not to tell Pepper as he made an Instagram of his own.

~

Bruce chuckled as his phone lit up again and Andreja leaned over to look. “This is your fault,” he told Andreja, making her pout from her spot on the lab stool next to him. “Natasha hates Bucky’s new obsession with posting pictures online, so she texts me to complain.”

Andreja smirked at him and Bruce sighed, already knowing where she was going. “Well it’s not my fault her friends like me. If she’d stop being such a spoil sport, I think we’d get along wonderfully. She’s the one who won’t stop glaring holes in me whenever we’re in the same room,” she said with a dismissive shrug. “I don’t know why, either,” she mused. “I’m not competition, and even if I was, girls shouldn’t treat each other like enemies. She’s far too forward thinking of a woman to care more about prospects with a man than befriending her fellow woman. Especially when every Avenger is either into men, taken, or both,” she stressed. She hesitated, looking Bruce over. “Hold on… you’re not,” she realized. 

Bruce frowned. “Gay or taken? No, but what does that have to do with anything. I don’t know why Natasha’s so against you.” He smiled at the memory of Natasha barging into his apartment and bitching about Andreja even taking up her sparring time because the others were training her for fun. “She’s just not used to change, I don’t think. She can fake it, but with us, she gets to be Natasha, not ‘Agent Romanov’, but you’re a wrench in the works, so to speak.” He gestured to her. “You are a civilian. And incredibly young. And sort of famous. It’s different, that’s for sure.”

Andreja smirked at him, making him worried somewhat. “Ooorr she’s jealous,” she said and Bruce raised an eyebrow.

“Of what?”

Andreja gave him a flat look. “Oh you poor, poor man. No wonder she hates me. You’re actually quite dumb for a genius, aren’t you?” she asked, then reached over and patted his head mockingly. “There, there, we can still fix this.”

Bruce frowned in confusion as she hopped off her stool and rushed out of the lab. He looked around, shaking his head. “Fix what?” he muttered as he went back to the calculations Andreja had been watching him do.

~

Andreja fell into step with Natasha. “I know your secret,” she said with a knowing smile.

Natasha raised an eyebrow at her. “Well I dumped them all on the internet a few years ago, so yeah, probably.” She got to the elevator and turned to Andreja, who stepped in beside her. “Look, I’ve got somewhere to be,” Natasha said and Andreja smirked when she saw how ruffled Natasha was.

“Natasha, Darling, I’d like to clear the air,” she said, clearly startling Natasha when she reached out and hit the button to stop the elevator. Natasha immediately tensed, and Andreja saw her hand disappearing up the back of her shirt. “Oh God, no!” She backed away, hands up. “Dear God, I’m not going to attack you!” Andreja said in a rush. 

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Then what are you up to? I don’t get you. What’s your plan for all of them?” she asked. “At first I thought you were just after the attention-“

“Oh honey,” Andreja interrupted, giving her a knowing look as she crossed her arms. “No, you thought I was after Bruce. And you still do.” Andreja leaned against the elevator wall behind her. “You like him.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Oh please,” she said, pushing past Andreja to hit the button to make the elevator start again.

“It’s the obvious answer,” Andreja said simply, waving a hand dismissively. “You’ve hated me from day one and I only became friends with everybody because of Bruce. Everybody else likes me, they’re all nice, and then there’s you.” She tilted her head. “Tony and Pepper are quite happy together, Bucky and Steve are the love story of the ages, your best friend is married to the Director of SHIELD, and Thor I haven’t even met, just heard about him in passing since our paths never seem to cross.” She smirked. “That leaves dear Dr. Banner.” She noticed Natasha’s jaw clench and she smirked. “Darling, I do not blame you at all. The man’s brilliant and God do I ever love a man with chest hair,” she purred. “That said, he’s old enough to be my father, Natasha.”

Natasha huffed. “And when has that ever stopped someone?”

“Since I’m famous in my own right, I have nothing to gain from it, and I like Bruce as a friend and mentor, not romantically.” Andreja rolled her eyes. “Besides, if I was going to fuck and Avenger, it would definitely be Thor. I’ve never even met the man in person and I’m already quite certain he’s the hottest naked.”

Natasha finally relented and snorted. “Nah, that’s Steve.” She met Andreja’s eyes reluctantly. “How the hell did you figure me out?”

“Well, it’s not very subtle to try and kill me with your eyes whenever I’m around simply because I’m friends with Bruce, now is it?” she asked with a chuckle.

Natasha shrugged. “Wasn’t trying too hard.” 

Andreja smiled comfortingly. “For what it’s worth, I think if you asked him out for coffee he would accept.” She tilted her head, thinking. “Actually no, he wouldn’t realize you mean it as a date. Best option is probably flat out tell him you like him. Bruce is very oblivious about things that aren’t scientific.” She glanced at Natasha. “But he does notice you. He’s very subtle about it, but I can tell. He just has fears about hurting you if something were to happen, or not being good enough for you. He’s a troubled man.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “I should just kiss him and tell him he’s my boyfriend now,” she said flatly and Andreja shrugged, grinning at her.

“Whatever floats your boat.” Andreja disembarked as soon as the doors opened, but Natasha gave her a smile and a nod that let her know she’d got through to her and finished what she’d started.

~

Steve got to day six of his media firestorm before Pepper finally bit the bullet and made him give an interview. He and Bucky had to answer questions at a press conference she called for them, all the while muttering about how she wasn’t their PR manager, thank you very much. Andreja was asked to join if she was free, since she was in the middle of the ‘scandal’. She readily agreed, which was how she ended up sitting beside Steve with Bucky on his other side, microphones on the table in front of each of them as they faced a mob of photographers and reporters.

From the very back of the room Tony gave them a sarcastic thumbs up and Clint made faces until Andreja laughed. Bruce and Natasha were suspiciously absent, which Andreja pointed out to Steve just to see the face of disgust he made at the thought of exactly where they might be. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming this morning,” Pepper opened with. “We will try to keep this brief, so please, no repeat questions.”

She gestured to the first person, a woman in a white skirt that was absolutely horrible, if you asked Andreja, and she stood up. “Captain Rogers, just to formalize the statements you made a week ago, are you in a relationship with Mr. Barnes?”

“Yes, I am,” Steve said with a smile on his face and a firmness in his voice that suggested he genuinely was pleased to be able to finally say out loud to the world that he was dating Bucky.

Another person stood. “How long have you and Sergeant Barnes been a couple?” he asked.

Steve looked at Bucky sheepishly. “Uh… I don’t remember,” he said and Bucky rolled his eyes with a sigh.

“July 8, 1940,” he said without hesitation, making Steve raise an eyebrow.

“How on earth do you know that when you barely remember half of your life?” he asked without thinking, only to grimace when Bucky gestured to the crowd and narrowed his eyes.

Andreja put a hand on either of their arms and smiled. “Could we have another question please? Before my friends here end up sleeping in separate rooms for the next week,” she said, earning a titter throughout the crowd.

“So you’re confirming that you two-“ The woman gestured absently. “Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes, you began a relationship long before either of your false deaths, not since your respective returns. How do you account for the stories about Peggy Carter?”

Andreja was impressed the woman standing had the guts to go there. She glanced at Steve, who smiled a lot brighter than she would have expected. “I’m really glad you asked that. I’ve always wanted to straighten things out but I was never brave enough to come out.” He straightened up some. “When I met Peggy, she and I became friends pretty quick. We had a lot in common and could relate to each other. In a way, I did have a little crush on her,” he admitted with his best ‘aw shucks’ smile that Andreja loved to make fun of. “But I was with Bucky. She didn’t know that at the time, but she actually found out the first night they met.” Bucky nodded. “She and Bucky didn’t get along well, but she knew how much I was needed and she didn’t think something as little as who I loved was enough to get us in trouble over.” He smiled fondly. “Peggy ended up being really happy for us, even if she didn’t care for Bucky that much. After I lost him, only then did she consider trying to start something. Obviously, I was grieving so she didn’t ask me out or anything,” he said and Andreja chuckled. “But while Peggy and I were not dramatically in love like the stories like to say, in all honesty?” He shrugged. “Had I lived, chances are I could’ve fallen in love with her and we may have had something. But that didn’t happen, and I’m happy with the way things turned out instead.”

A man stood up. “If you’re gay, how could you have been with her?” he asked and Andreja couldn’t hold in her eye roll. 

Bucky leaned forward. “No, I’m gay, he’s bisexual,” he clarified. “Steve likes girls, too. Which is one of the reasons it’s hilarious people thought I was dating Andreja, not Steve and Andreja,” he said, and Andreja chuckled.

“What about all the stories about you being a- a-“

“Slut?” Andreja offered and the woman flushed.

“Ladies man,” she said resolutely.

Bucky smirked, winking. “I sure was, Sweetheart. But things change over time. These things aren’t concrete, you know?” He nodded to Steve. “Before him, I only liked girls, then I liked girls and Steve, and these days I’m not interested in women at all. If Steve bit it or something, I’d definitely replace him with another man,” he joked and Steve laughed good-naturedly. 

“Sergeant Barnes, I assume being in a homosexual relationship in the forties wasn’t acceptable,” a man asked. “What caused you to decide to risk it if you already had a reputation as a ladies man?”

Bucky shrugged. “Well that helped, honestly. People worried so much about me getting a hand up their sister’s or daughter’s skirt so nobody noticed I might go dancing with girls, but I always managed to make it a double date with Steve and some girl for him so at the end of the night, I had an excuse to go home with him.”

“My mother died,” Steve added on, glancing past Andreja at Bucky with a small smile. “My mother died a month before me and Bucky got together, and I was alone. He left his parents to come live with me and help me out. I tried to convince him I was okay alone, mostly because I’d been kinda sweet on him for a while and worried he’d notice if I lived with him.” He grinned. “Turns out he did.”

Bucky nodded, still smiling at Steve. “Stevie was sick all the time, and he couldn’t work in a factory or at the docks, so he couldn’t live alone. And I’d been in love with him my whole life, so I wasn’t about to let him starve to death on the streets when I knew I could help take care of him.”

“Excuse me, but your whole life?” a woman asked abruptly.

Bucky looked at her with a serious look in his eyes and a small smile on his lips. “Yep. I met Steve when I was so little I don’t remember before him, and like I told Andreja not too long ago, I remember loving him before I knew what it was.” He smiled sweetly. “I remember I thought he was the best kid I knew because he drew really good. I thought that’s why he made me happy to be around him. Then I didn’t really get my shit together until Steve was about fifteen and his voice dropped and his jaw squared up and I realized ‘hot damn, he’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen in my life’.”

Steve blushed and Andreja laughed. “Aww, look,” she teased and Bucky glanced at Steve and winked at him. 

Steve huffed. “I was so skinny you could see every bone in my body and my skin was nearly see-through, I was so anemic. I wasn’t attractive at all, Buck.”

“Bullshit, Stevie,” Bucky argued. “You were just as beautiful five foot tall and skinny as a post as you are now,” he said and Andreja grinned at the number of ‘awwwwww’s from around the room. Bucky wiggled his eyebrows at the crowd. “Yeah, that smooth-talkin’s how I got him to kiss me in the first place, I’ve got a lot of practice with it.”

Andreja giggled. “I’ve seen it. When Steve’s being hardheaded, Bucky bats his eyes at him and charms him until he gives in.”

Steve blushed even harder. “Yeah, well, you try telling him no when he looks at you like that!”

“It’s okay, Stevie, I only do it cause you’re the love of my life,” Bucky countered.

One glance out at the reporters was enough to let all three of them know that they were eating this all up. Andreja wouldn’t be surprised if even the hyper-conservatives had trouble finding fault with such an adorable couple of ‘soulmates’. 

~

Bruce was late meeting Andreja in his lab to help her out with an essay she was going to write for her first class (Bruce had been so proud when she got into college all on her own after refusing their help), and her smirk when he walked in made him blush. “Shut it.”

“Your curls make for the best sex hair ever,” she teased. He grinned sheepishly, patting at his hair ineffectively. “You’re welcome.” She winked, making him duck his head sheepishly.

“Um, so what are we doing you need help on?” Bruce asked.

Andreja nodded. “Marxist theoretical application of the dictatorship of the proletariat and how it could bring down capitalism.”

Bruce blinked a few times then sighed. “God, you’re going to get arrested by the CIA for being a communist spy or something. My life is going to become a Cold War novel.”

Andreja perked up. “Great!” She waved a hand. “Although dictatorship of the proletariat isn’t exactly communism. More like socialism.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “Just don’t let Tony hear you going on about the evils of capitalism. It’s how he got rich.” He shot her a look. “And it’s not like you don’t make a decent amount of money all your own.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but I spent it on getting my grandmother back with my mum and getting myself a vagina,” she said bluntly. 

Bruce snickered, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Let’s get to this,” he said, pulling her laptop around to look at it. “Where do we start?”

“Soviet union?” Andreja suggested. “The original Soviet philosophy was very pro-women’s liberation and rights.”

Bruce hummed. “Natasha might have something to say to the contrary of that.”

There was a thump and they both looked up to see Natasha coming through the door with an amused smile. “I’d have something to say about what?” she asked, coming over to stand beside their stools at the lab table.

Bruce grinned. “Soviet pro-women philosophy.”

“Sure. They were very pro-women. As long as they could train little girls to murder people,” she said in that dry way that always made him snicker. She leaned against Bruce’s shoulder, putting her hands on his waist. “Nothing like spending ten years unable to sleep without handcuffing yourself to the bed.” Bruce raised an eyebrow and she smirked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Andreja cleared her throat. “Ew, guys. Don’t you dare start talking about kinky bondage sex in front of me,” she complained.

“Hey, you’re the one that told me to just grab him and make him date me,” Natasha said and Andreja nodded.

“Yes, yes I did. But I need Bruce’s help and that means no making out until he’s finished helping me!” she demanded.

Bruce smiled at Natasha, who got that evil gleam in her eyes he knew usually came before she and Clint got up to something. She moved and slid her arms around his neck, hopping up onto his lap to sit sideways. “Okay, no making out,” she agreed, then proceeded to practically curl around him, snuggling in close. “I’m good. Proceed,” she said, twirling a finger in Bruce’s hair. She plucked at a curl and Andreja mimed gagging.

“That’s even worse! Just go off and stab someone, you!” she complained, poking Natasha in the knee. “He was my friend before he was your man-thing.”

Natasha gave her an evil look then turned and kissed Bruce’s cheek. “Зайчик.”

Bruce made a face at her. “Did you just call me a bunny?”

“You’re my Зайчик,” she said, winking at Andreja. “Cause he’s all cute and fluffy,” she said, petting his hair.

Bruce cringed, gently pushing at Natasha. “Alright, now you’re creeping me out.” She rolled her eyes, pouting as she slid off his lap.

“Fine, fine. You’re no fun.” She didn’t look back as she walked off. “Steve would play along!”

Bruce laughed. “Then go make Steve your boyfriend,” he called and she turned back at the door, smiling at him.

“Nah, I like my men closer to my age,” she said, winking as she stalked out.

Andreja just groaned and dragged Bruce around by his shirt. “Fucks sake, flirt with her later, help me now!” she demanded, glaring at him.

Bruce couldn’t help but chuckle as he leaned against the table and looked at her. Andreja was young, she was a supermodel, she was brave and intelligent and absolutely amazing. And he couldn’t believe she’d somehow managed to insinuate herself into all their lives and change so much. She’d made Bucky open up, she’d made Steve find inspiration to be brave, she’d softened Natasha up, and she’d managed to help him and Natasha end up together, giving him something he didn’t think he’d ever find again. It was hard to believe just a few months ago Andreja was falling over herself and stuttering at him and now she was bossing him around and demanding he help her with her assignments. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, pushing her hair out of her face. “What?”

He shook his head with a small smile. “Nothing. Just really glad Pepper spilled coffee on you,” he said and she rolled her eyes, sticking out her tongue.

“Stop being sappy,” she said dramatically.

When she turned back to the computer, though, she knocked their shoulders together, smiling a soft little smile at the screen. Bruce smiled along with her as he took a breath and reached for the mouse. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just to be clear: Andreja is a real person. Not an OC. (It's cool if you missed the 'sorta RPF' tag, it happens) *points at avi* that's her, actually.
> 
> Yes, she is a transgender supermodel. Yes, most of the facts about her are real, just dramatized. She was born in Yugoslavia and after the break up, Grew up in a Serbian refugee camp for a while before her mum got them to Australia. Yes, she IS extremely intelligent. She's expressed great interest in getting a PhD (and being a mother, which is super awesome to picture, Dr. Pejic, her stay and home husband taking care of the kids, and her being a professor or something and talking about her old days as a supermodel). Even the little end bit with the fascination with Marxism is really something she has talked about, reading a lot of Marxist philosophy. 
> 
> Oh yeah, and she's [jaw-droppingly beautiful](http://blogs-images.forbes.com/natalierobehmed/files/2014/11/andreja-1410x19403111111111.jpg).


End file.
